[fedora-java] Weak dependencies

[Mikolaj Izdebski]

On 04/03/2014 05:30 PM, David M. Lloyd wrote:
> On 04/03/2014 06:48 AM, Peter MacKinnon wrote:
>> On 04/01/2014 07:28 AM, Mikolaj Izdebski wrote:
>>> Fedora 21 will likely introduce so called "weak" or "soft" dependencies,
>>> also known as recommends and suggests.  For proposed change see [1].
>>> What do you think about Java packages adopting usage of weak
>>> dependencies?
>>>
>>> An example: Dependencies declared as optional in POM files could be
>>> translated by dependency generators to Recommends instead of Requires.
>>
>> +1 for optional->Recommends mapping
> 
> I would be cautious before deciding to universally and directly map
> Maven (build-time) dependencies to run-time dependencies.  I think the
> general concept is a good idea though.

They are already being mapped since Fedora 18, see [1].

Current mapping is:

Maven scope | generate Requires?
------------+-------------------
    compile | yes
    runtime | yes
   provided | no
       test | no
     system | fail the build

Currently even optional dependencies (marked in POM files as
<optional>true</optional>) have Requires generated.  I was thinking
about generating Recommends for them instead of Requires.  But that's a
distant future it seems.

[1] http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/Simplified_Maven_Packaging

-- 
Mikolaj Izdebski
Software Engineer, Red Hat
IRC: mizdebsk